orangetoledo

Hey Future Nurses! As you are studying for the HESI A2, you may or may not have heard that the exam is crazy hard, maybe even non-passable. But it's really not, people be exaggerating sometimes. Especially if they did not study! Hehe I'm going to highlight HESI A2 specifics, as well as general test taking pointers. As I'm sure you're aware, there are 7 subjects covered on the exam. However, make sure you research the nursing school (or dental or other healthcare program) you're applying to, and see which subjects they require you to test. Most schools only require 5 out of the 7 subjects. So double check. Ok let's talk about exactly how you're going to smash the HESI A2 out of the water! I just all the study guides from readyforthehesi.org hella expensive but worth it just make sure you ACTUALLY USE IT PEOPLE, cos they don't allow refunds. Anyhoo they also have a free HESI A2 practice test. I think it's like 50 or 70 free questions. I can't remember atm. Anyhoo ok so this is what you REALLY NEED TO KNOW for the hesi a2, forget about everything else. Lotsa students focus on the details and that's a wrong move and waste of time. Anatomy & Physiology - 30 Questions Do: Focus on the general concepts of the body systems. Out of one entire year of anatomy and physiology, it will all come down to only 30 questions. Circulatory System - know the location of the superior vena cava, aorta, right/left atrium, pulmonary valve, tricuspid valve, inferior vena cava, right/left ventricle, aortic valve, bicuspid valve, pulmonary veins and pulmonary artery. Know the flow! Endocrine System - review these hormones: ADH, LH, FSH, oxytocin, serotonin, and estrogen. Know where they're secreted and their functions. Nervous System - know sympathetic vs. parasympathetic. Review cerebellum, cerebrum, medulla oblongata, nerves (Olfactory, Optic, and Vagus) and hypothalamus. Sensory System: review eye & ear anatomy. Immune System: know T-cells, B-cells, thymus, basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, and plasma/thrombocytes. [*]Do not: Over study. Or overthink, for that matter. Getting worked up about details will only serve to harm your score. The HESI only covers ~20% of two entire A&P semesters. Focus on the outline above or go over the chapter summaries and vocab at the end of your A&P textbook. Grammar - 50 Questions Do: Study commonly misused words pairs - bad/badly, lie/lay, affect/effect, among/between, amount/number, good/well, its/it's, farther/further, then/than, which/that, and fewer/less all may come up. Be able to identify adjectives and adverbs. Remember, adverbs do not modify nouns! Understand how to solve for subject-verb agreement. Be sure you can isolate the subject and the verb to make them match up. They'll put some tricky clauses to try and slip you up. Don't fall for it! Know what makes a simple/compound/complex sentence. Brush up on commas and semicolons. Do not: Over think it. If you're still having trouble breaking down grammar, hop on over to HESI A2 Study Guide – Ready For The HESI for a free HESI Grammar Practice Test. Also check out Pocket Prep's app for endless practice questions. Another hack***: get more in depth grammar explanation from a 5th Grammar Workbook. Yes, that's right, you're being tested over 4th - 5th grammar! This is prob like $10 or $15. Biology - 30 Questions Do: Start small. Start from the smallest building blocks and work your way up. Study membranes, organelles, cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. Understand functions such as cellular reproduction (cell cycle), cellular respiration (aerobic/anaerobic and fermentation), diffusion, and active transport. Have a general understanding of antibiotics, enzymes, microscopy, the scientific method, homeostasis, genetics (genotype & phenotype), and tonicity. Do not: Waste time on details, such as memorizing every single step of the Krebs cycle! You could spend your entire life studying biology and never finish. Stick to the basics and then use your critical thinking skills to put that general knowledge to use. Chemistry - 30 Questions Do: Start small. Make sure you have a good understanding of each building block before you work your way up. Start with subatomic particles. Move to atoms, then to elements, then to the periodic table, then to compounds (and different types of chemical bonding), and lastly to chemical reactions. Having a solid foundation is key. Make sure you understand chemical formulas and how to balance reactions. Practice basic stoichiometry! Brush up on pH, buffers, gas laws, and specific heat. Do not: Let chemistry intimidate you simply because it is a struggle for many nursing students. If chemistry is your challenging subject, even one hour of tutoring may make all of the difference. Whether it is with us, or anybody else, tutoring can really give you the advantage. Also remember, for all sciences under HESI A2, it is general, 30 questions will be asked out of months long science class. Math - 50 Questions Do: Study the basics of fractions (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing). Brush up on decimals and percentages. Be able to convert from fractions to decimals and relate them to percentages. Ratios and simple algebra will most certainly come up. You should know how to solve for X like you know the back of your hand. It's also highly important that you practice word problems. Word problems are the most commonly missed HESI math questions and repetition through practice will help you solve them faster! Do not: Simply memorize formulas and assume you can apply them on the fly. Practice, practice, practice! Math gets exponentially easier with practice! (Bonus points if you understood my math pun). Reading Comprehension - 50 Questions Do: Identifying the main idea & topic sentence(s) will be helpful in detecting the purpose of the story. Practice being able to do this. Keep in mind the type of passage and author's tone as you work through these steps. Understand how to solve for context clues and be able to draw conclusions/form logical inferences. These skills will also help you determine if something is fact/opinion AND help you determine proper meaning of words, which most certainly will be asked of you! It's important to calmly read the passage, and find a balance between taking your time while avoiding overthinking. Remember, the main idea of the story is probably exactly what it seems! Do not: Assume that all details within scientific research and passages that include historical timelines are fact. Opinion statements may be within passages of these types and can give a clue to author's motive. Ignore the Table of Contents or Index, if provided - valuable information might be included here. Wing it. Many students think they can just handle this section on the fly. Unfortunately, they're usually wrong. There are tried and true exercises to help you own this section! Vocabulary - 50 Questions Do: Understand that the test will include words you have never seen. This is because standardized tests focus more on problem solving than straight up knowledge. Look at these questions like a puzzle for which you need context clues to solve. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself: Are there any prefixes/suffixes that change the meaning of the word? Are there any synonyms and antonyms? Is the explanation of the missing word actually included within the sentence? Are there specific examples within the sentence that help define the missing word? Do not: Stress over the sheer volume of words in the English language. The truth is, using study guides and practice tests will prepare you to fool the test without being a human dictionary. If you've taken the SAT (or any state mandated exam), you're already familiar with how standardized tests force you to rely on your skills using context clues rather than merely knowing what the meaning of 'favor' is, for example. Hint: favor has no less than 6 different definitions; it's all about your problem solving skills! Now let's talk some general test taking tips... Take practice tests. Review and understand the practice test questions and fully explained answers/solutions. These insights will prove to be invaluable for you. Many HESI A2 students say practice questions really gets them ready. Read the full question! Digest the question, and try to come up with the answer before seeing the choices. If you cannot confidently answer a question, it's ok to move on. In fact, you need to move on. Budgeting your time is an extremely valuable skill. There will be questions that you do not know the answers to. However, you will be prepared to use your knowledge to rule out/cross out incorrect answer choices. Trust your gut. Don't go back and change answers due to overthinking. Trust what you see on the paper. Personally, I always suggest to end studying and relax the night before the test. I never find it helpful to stay up all night cramming the night before the exam. We've focused on studying, but it's also incredibly important to RELAX! Maintain a calm disposition during the test. Studying hard will not serve you if you blank out during the test due to anxiety. If your nerves do get the best of you and you find that you are not thinking clearly, close your eyes. Inhale for 5 seconds, and then exhale through pursed lips for 5 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Open your eyes. Resume the test. Exhaling through pursed lips activates your parasympathetic nervous system and helps you regain control of your mindset. ;-) With all of this in your back pocket, you can make the choice to get it right the first time. Most importantly, just practice test taking strategies and be comfortable taking standardized tests. If you know how to do this, you're already 80% there. DM me for any questions. I know applying for medical programs or nursing programs that require the HESI is effin hard and really effin stressful. Okurrt. GOOD LUCK!

Yes, grammar is big isssue. But there's also our failing public education school system. Can we really blame the kids? We definitely shouldn't blame teachers. There's something gone awry in U.S. schools and I know it has to do with funding.

So, I just took my HESI A2 exam (again, I had to retake it for a diff school) and I wanted to share a few things while they were still fresh. I'm actually feeling pretty good about how I did! Thankfully I was prepared for a section that really surprised me by how huge it was - commonly misused words. This is under the grammar section and is one of those things you just need to buck up and master before the exam. I decided to write a little thing for you guys since I had the advantage of using the 'ready for the Hesi' study guides. I've added my little breakdown below,ok, here it goes but it's also written here on this article from pocket prep: 1

Hi all. a lot of people ask me when I my test and wanted to come say how glad I am that I overstudied math in my study sessions. That section is no joke. Anyone know the breakdown of the math section? I feel like ratios were everywhere. Anyways, I feel great about my score. I used readyforthehesi.org like a few others here and have nothing but good stuff to say about that prep. In fact, I've heard from others that the official Elsevier prep they used did NOT highlight ratio word problems as well as the prep I used so I'm here post-test with pointers. Basically, what I saw was that they present the problem in all sorts of ways, but what it boils down to is that you need to figure out how many times the first number contains the second number. That might seem confusing so here are a few examples (note these are not the problems from my test - that would be highly unethical). There are 3 oranges for every 1 apple. Another way to write this is the ratio of apples to oranges is 1:3 or 1/3. Seems simple right? It's not so straightforward on the test. On the test, it looks more like, Sara buys a mixed bucket of fruit that has a total of 100 pieces. If the ratio of apples to oranges is 1:3, how many oranges are there? So, to solve this, let's call apples X and oranges Y. We know that, X + Y = 100 And Y= 3X So we can combine the two equations by plugging Y= 3X into the first one: X + 3X = 100 4X = 100 X= 25 Then plug X into the second equation: Y=3(25) And we've solved the problem. There are 25 apples and 75 oranges. You can check this by simplifying the ratio: 25:75 = 1:3 Another way I've seen the questions written is where they give you pieces of the problem but not the actual ratio. What you need to do is create proportions and set them equal to each other, To make 30 shirts, 3 yards of elastic is required. How many yards would be needed to make 120 shirts? The first proportion is 30:3 and the second is 120:X. So, 30/x = 120/x 30x = 360 X= 12 yards. Hope I was able to explain it well. Regardless of whether or not you understood my post, the takeaway message here is do not underestimate the ratio word problems! You can't hide from them! Haha. And if you want to crush the test like I did, then make sure you practice ratio math word problems. This is the study guide I used just for math: HESI A2 Math E-Study Guide: Download and study right away! – Ready For The HESI It's like almost 100 pages and I didn't even get through all the practice problems but it helped me a lot. It's pricy but worth it if you're struggle with math. Oh and even if you don't get it, it's worth getting their free hesi practice test cos they have some math question in their too Message me or comment for any questions!! -Future RN OKURRRR! lol

Hey Ash, yeah ready for the hesi has some good stuff. I used their study guides. Context clues and process of elimanation definitely helps. How To Study Millions of Vocabulary Words – Ready For The HESI

Hey @Jizzy34 I think I responded but didn't know if it posted. What I wrote was that I used all the study guides from ready for the hesi and practiced and repracticed their test questions. for the grammar, please FOR REAL practice their trouble word some pair and really understand that section. the test questions help, but you actually have to understand how to differentiate from affect vs effect and how to use worse, bad, badly, etc.

Hey @tayloralexus, no problem I am so happy to help. I know it's a stressful time. Honest, I think I failed because I was so much in my head and really nervous. You have to really get a hold of yourself mentally and psychology. I would freak out and think I'm spending too much on one thing or too many details. That was also part of the reason I failed is because I didn't really study right. You have to study the general topics and then going into detail of each human body system. It helps to know exactly what to study. My best advice is to know the fundamentals of each human body system like the bank of your hand, and then if a random (which it will) very, super detailed question comes up, then you can use context clues and your strong knowledge of the basics to make an educated guess.

Version 1 :)

Ugh! So frickin true! But I would focus on the main topics of A&P, and then try to use context clues and your strong foundation of the basics of A&P to guestimate on the super specific A&P questions. I think Elseiver does that to maybe not make it as easy if it was just basic A&P questions.

Hey @skvoung, don't worry. First of all: it will be okay. Take a deep breath. Ok I'm going to answer your questions: If I retake the exam in less than 30 days, would they find out if I send them my first scores before I take the retake? (For example, I would send my scores for my first exam to the schools now and then take my retake next week) ***You should be fine, if you send your first scores to those schools, they won't find out or at least will know it's not pertaining to them since they don't require vocab. As many schools only let you take the exam twice, does my exam count as a second time if I was missing a section for that school and it wasnt even under their code? (EX: UT says I can only take the exam twice under their school code, so does that mean i can take it at other places without their code and send it in and they wouldnt know I would have taken it multiple times?) ******Yes, even that first one counts as one. If I send them my first HESI scores now to other schools but wont apply till Fall 2018, would they still have my scores or do you think that school will lose them since its such a long time? **********(It depends on the school, but if it's been over a year, again depending on the school, it won't count. Your best bet is calling or emailing the school(s) an explaining the situation). Thank you!! Sorry for typing so much, I dont have any friends going into Nursing so I'm alone to fend for myself. **********Let me now if you have any other questions!

Hey @Alp12, I know exactly what you're going through. @VictoriousNurse is right about aqueous humor and cerumen. How long ago did you take A&P? I failed too and I finally passed using the "Ready for the HESI" online study guides along with the Cliff Notes A&P book. Message me and let me know if you need more advice or anything like that.

How did you do? Hope you passed it!! If not, let me know and I can give you some tips on how to study for the a&p section.

aww dont' be nervous! The fact that you are nervous tells me you know how important it is to study! Yes, there were percentage questions, like turn 66.4% into a decimal (answer is .664). There was very little algebra and I would mostly study on proportions, word ratio and fraction problems. Let me know if you need more advice or send me a private mesage!

omg good luck!!! you're almost there. here are my suggestions for biology and chemistry study topics: Biology - 25 Questions Acids and Bases Bacterial Infections Biology Basics Catalysts Cell Genetics Cell Reproduction Cellular Membrane Cellular Respiration Histology Meiosis vs Mitosis Metric Measurements Aerobes and Anaerobes Chemistry - 25 Questions Acids and Bases Atomic number, mass, and structure Chemical Reactions Oxidation and Reduction Solutions, solvents, and solutes Compounds Alloys Emulsions [*]Amino Acids Source: The Most-Tested Topics of the HESI A2 nursing entrance exam – Ready For The HESI

awww @jonsushi don't worry! You will be fine...and yes grammar can be tricky. Did you take the test already? Is this your first time? Focus on these topics for Grammar: Adjective Adverb Confusing Word Pairs Affect vs Effect Among vs Between Good vs Well Bad vs Badly Farther vs Further Hear vs Here Lie vs Lay Eight Parts of Speech Pronoun Use Independent and dependent clauses Subject and Verb Agreement Also you can read over these two articles on how to solve grammar questions: HESI A2 Tips – Tagged "hesi a2 grammar" – Ready For The HESI You'll also get a free practice test on their with everything from a&p questions to grammar to biology, etc. They have an image of a sentence that reads: "They're parking their car there." This SUCH a good example of a grammar question because you definitely have to know the different of words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Hello! Yes, I took the HESI recently, and did pretty well. I did fail the first time but then used the Ready For The HESI study guides. They study guides go over the topics that HESI tests over and then at the end it has practice questions. You can also get one free hour of tutoring and a free practice test off their website. I wrote about my experience failing and then finally passing in an AllNurses post here: https://allnurses.com/hesi-entrance-exam/how-i-failed-1100773.html

@successinall The prerequisites are required to apply to nursing school. However, if your question is; IS it possible to take the HESI before finishing all your prerequisites than the answer is yes. There several study guides that can help you prep for the HESI entrance exam, even if you haven't finished all your courses, including a&p.

Thanks ladies. Please let me know if I could be of any other help. @rob95 the reading and math are one of the sections that are so time consuming!

Hey @SallyTurcios, I got in to the ADN program at HCC but I didn't end up attending and switched majors. However, my sister got into TWU. She said the program is extremely intense and it's best not work while you're in school. I had to retest for HESI, I failed it the first time. I prepared by using the free practice hesi questions and articles from a website called Ready For The HESI. I bought their study guide. It's better than the official because you WAY more practice question and real tutor help. Read over this one for reading comp main topics to know: HESI A2 Tips – Tagged "hesi a2 reading comprehension" – Ready For The HESI For reading, you can also try googling 5-6th grade level reading comprehension practice tests online.

@Adriannafenee, I would call the school or try to find an email of their nursing department, but honestly I don't think I've ever heard of a part time nursing program whether its ADN LVN or BSN. Programs are full time because of the amount of school, academic and the time you need to go into clinicals.

To take the HESI for UTH it will be about $104. I have no idea why they are so expensive. I know with LoneStar it's like $30. I graduated from UHD last year but was a pre-nursing major before switching to business. I scored an 86% average on my HESI exam by using the Ready For The HESI Study guides. Most people recommend the official Elselvier which is good and it doesn't hurt to have more than one study guide, but the ready for the hesi study guides has way more practice questions plus you get one free hour of private tutoring. I go into more detail here about failing (taking the test and dropping $200 bucks) and finally passing: https://allnurses.com/hesi-entrance-exam/how-i-failed-1100773.html Make sure to study hard on the topics I mentioned!

So sorry to hear that but don't give up! My sister took the HESI several times too. Did you take it for the third time and pass?

Hahaha grammar bytes is such a cool (and funny site)! Such detailed information!

Hey iexpress, how did you end up studying for the vocab section? It ended up being easier than I thought for myself but it's hard to give advice on 'how' to study for vocabulary.

So sorry Halie! I was a CNA for years and hated it. I trained at a retirement home but I was lucky enough to work at a hospital. My sister is a CNA too, and still works as one. Her first job was at the ICU unit and she cried for the first couple of weeks. I would follow ilg's advice. This is the time when you will learn grit and hardwork, you will learn how to resolve conflict. If you were a single mom dependent on this income, you would have no choice. But either way, you'll come out of this stronger AND with work experience.